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People go to Las Vegas for all kinds of reasons, the bright lights, the gambling, the shows, but back in the early ‘50s there was one reason folks today wouldn’t even consider going to witness: nuclear explosions.

Nuclear detonations at the Nevada Test Site could be seen for 100 miles, and since Vegas stood only sixty-five miles away, the familiar mushroom clouds became tourist draws.

Today, people can tour the site, though any kind of recording device or the collection of souvenirs is strictly prohibited, so we’ll just assume that even in the surrounding desert, what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

Full story at Retronaut. Additional info from Wikipedia.

Never a dull moment in Las Vegas.